The expanding landscape of commercial drone use

Leading Industries for Commercial Drone Applications

Industries worldwide are increasingly integrating drones into their operations, with each sector often focusing on specific applications. The Arts & Entertainment industry predominantly uses drones for photography, while the Insurance sector leverages them primarily for inspections. Similarly, the Mining & Quarrying industry mainly employs drones for mapping and surveying. However, many industries diversify their drone usage beyond a single primary function.

In the Energy and Agriculture sectors, drones are utilized across a broad spectrum of activities. Energy companies heavily rely on drones for inspections, with significant use in mapping and surveying as well. Agriculture, on the other hand, focuses on mapping, surveying, and spraying or dispensing. These sectors, along with Construction, represent the largest markets for drone technology.

Other sectors, such as Educational, Scientific & Technical Services, and Public Administration, also make extensive use of drones. In Educational, Scientific & Technical Services, drones are used for everything except spraying and dispensing. Public Administration employs drones for various tasks, excluding delivery, with a strong emphasis on mapping and surveying. Public Emergency Services utilize drones for localization, tracking, photography, and filming.

Noteworthy applications also include drone deliveries in Healthcare and Disaster Relief, such as delivering life-saving medical supplies, and localization and tracking tasks in Safety & Security, like surveillance of critical infrastructure. Drones are also employed in Waste Management for tasks like landfill monitoring. These examples highlight the growing presence of commercial drones across diverse global industries.

Main Application Methods for Commercial Drones

Mapping and surveying emerge as the most prevalent commercial drone applications, appearing across nearly all industry verticals analyzed. This application method is closely followed by inspections, and then photography and filming.

In Mining & Quarrying, mapping and surveying are the top drone applications, with significant activity also seen in Construction, Public Administration, and Waste Management. These activities are somewhat present in Agriculture, Educational, Scientific & Technical Services, Energy, and Transportation Infrastructure. The Insurance sector, however, does not use drones for mapping and surveying.

Inspections represent the most common commercial drone use in the Insurance industry and are also vital in Energy and Telecommunications. This application is also prevalent in Real Estate & Industrial Maintenance, Transportation Infrastructure, and Waste Management. The only industry where inspections are not utilized is Arts & Entertainment.

Photography dominates drone use in the Arts & Entertainment industry and the Information & Motion Pictures sector. This method also plays a significant role in Construction, Educational, Scientific & Technical Services, Public Emergency Services, and Real Estate & Industrial Maintenance.

Other drone applications, though less prominent, still play crucial roles. Delivery is most common in Cargo & Logistics and Healthcare & Disaster Relief. Spraying and dispensing are primarily associated with Agriculture but also feature in other sectors. Localization and tracking are important in Public Emergency Services and Safety & Security, and are present in nearly all other industries.

Overall, the landscape of commercial drone use is marked by a broad and varied application of drone technology across multiple sectors, indicating a trend towards increased adoption and diversification of drone functions in industry-specific tasks.